The Team
Who We Are
Gail Anderson
President and Founder
Gail has been involved with animals her whole life. Born on a small farm in Bigfork, MN, she loved farm animals, and learned to ride horses at age three. Horseback riding was a forever love. Into her adult years, she continued working with animals by volunteering at humane societies; joining the board of a local shelter, where she eventually held VP and President roles. She also trained to be a State Humane Agent and volunteered her time in animal investigations for over 17 years with Minnesota Federated Humane Societies (MFHS). She joined the MFHS board as Secretary, VP and briefly as President before leaving the organization to start her own rescue, with the help of several friends.
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Hero's Heart was formed in June 2022.
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Professionally, Gail works full-time as Operations Manager for Minnesota North College, in the Customized Training Solutions Division. She has earned a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma and a Professional/Executive Coaching Certification. Her life-long hobbies continue to be animals, reading, the outdoors, vegetarianism, living as organically as possible, thrifting, and trying to grow her own
garden ;)
Jennifer Hendrickson
Board Member
My name is Jennifer Hendrickson, I've had a passion for animals since I was a young child. I started fostering animals, knowing that my passion would spread love to the animals in need. I live in the country with chickens, ducks, 2 dogs, 2 cats, reptiles, and now any foster animal I can help with. Being on the board for Hero's Heart allows me to help even deeper than the love for animals, and I can't wait to continue with this journey. “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
Pam Stuber
Secretary
I have grown up in Minnesota and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Some of my earliest, happiest memories consist of being around animals. I grew up with dogs and fish, and at one point even surprised my parents by bringing home 2 hamsters from a pet store which ended up surprising me later with a bunch of baby hamsters! If I could’ve had more animals, I would have! I did a lot of house/animal sitting for other families and would always love the time spent with the dogs, even cats. However, I was more afraid of cats after being hissed at, swatted at, and even bit, until a point in my adult years when a switch flipped within me. I also spent time as a child doing what I thought was right by “rescuing” many animals including baby bunnies, baby birds found on the grass, a stray cat, and even a turtle trying to cross a road. As an adult, I now know what is right and how to handle these situations – but in the innocence of childhood I gave it my heart and did what I thought was right by taking these animals into my care.
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As an adult, I am very active at a local private Humane Society (fostering, adoption counseling, events, transfers) and have also spent several summers volunteering at Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Roseville. I have found one of my main passions to be helping innocent creatures who rely on humans to be their voice, providing safety, love, and reassurance in this big scary world. The rewards of being involved are intrinsic and very fulfilling to my soul.
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I initially became involved with Hero’s Heart several years ago when I came across a post on Facebook looking for help with a transport from Grand Rapids to Wyoming. I figured if the individual posting could get the animal(s) to Duluth, I could possibly help and tie this into a visit with family in Duluth, pick up the animals, and then bring them to the Humane Society in Wyoming. The rest is history, and I wouldn’t change a thing! We have seen consistent growth, and change, since I joined Gail and Connie - and it seems like just yesterday, So grateful to be a part of such an amazing team full of great ideas, working together to be a voice for the innocent, promote what is right, and save lives!
A saying I try to live by…”Fostering…Your heart breaks a little, so theirs never has to again.”
Dawn Harvego
Treasurer
Dawn Harvego is a dedicated Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) with a passion for providing exceptional care to animals. With a deep love for veterinary medicine, she is committed to ensuring the health and well-being of every animal she encounters.
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When not helping out with Hero's Heart or working, Dawn enjoys spending quality time with friends playing tabletop board games, exploring new destinations through travel, and embracing the serenity of being on the water. Whether she's rolling dice, discovering new places, or soaking up the sun by the water, she finds joy in life’s adventures.
Charla Hunter
Board Member
Char Hunter is a dedicated attorney at Cygnet Law, PLLC, where she is committed to providing knowledgeable and compassionate legal guidance to her clients.
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Outside of her legal work, Char enjoys traveling, spending quality time with her family, and giving back to animals in need through her involvement with Hero’s Heart Animal Rescue. Her dedication to both her clients and her community reflects her compassionate nature and commitment to making a difference.